St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-11
THE RECKLESS JEHU.
Imprisonment Suspended in the
Blethen Case During Good Be-

imprisonment Suspended in the
Blethen Case During Good Be-
havior.
The face of Judge Mahoney, of the
municipal court, wore an expression of
solid satisfaction yesterday morning as
he quickly disposed of the several
DRINKS which headed the days docket.
j. w. ST. John was arraigned before his
honor for reckless driving, and the COM
Portable expression departed from the
judicial viSage, for his soul was veXed
within him. Following Mr.. st. John
came Joseph Shyster and CharleSWrenS,
pleading guilty to a similar charge. and
SternneSS deepened almost to wrath on
the judges usually impaSSive cOun-
tenance. He fined the trio S. each,
which they paid, thereby escaping ten
days in the city bastile. Judge Mahoney
bethought him of the great preceptor in
all reforms for the city's good, and beck
Oning the bailiff of his court to approach,
he ordered him to secure for the three
erring citizens files of the Minneapolis
Tribune, that they might read on the
editorial page thereof the greatness of
their tranSgreSSion, and follow the lines
laid down therein with reference to
driving. AS his trusted messenger
turned to do his bidding, the judge, to
whom serenity had returned while
reciting the noble reform work
OF a the rs,eaa Tribune IN d; ealsGr sha WAS
as the clerk read the next
charge, "Alden J. Blethen, reckless
driving" Here was a paradox. With
the rapidity of thought peculiar to the
judicial mind, his honor gave retro
Spective sweep of the culprit's record
as fast-driving reformer. He medi-
tated, and in this wise: "Phis man
must be made to know that there is a
greater power to protect the innocent
and abSent-minded pedestrian than the
inconsistent editorial 'we'-the mighty
arm of the law has him within its
power, and shall keep him there until
his Jehuic ambition is curbed." Then
he turned to the prisoner at the bar
and with smile whose cynical
blandness only served to intensity
the gloom of his sentence, he said that
he had fined the misguided citizens who
had just been before the court on sim
liar charge S., but when he considered
the fact that the prisoner at the bar was
self-cOnStituted guardian of the city'S
welfare, whose greatest PhillipicS had
been hurled against the very breach of
law to which he had himself plead
guilty. he was constrained to make a
terrible example of the man, and inn
posed the extreme penalty, S. fine and
thirty days Imprisonment in the county
work house. 1t was solemn mo-
ment. The prisoner at the bar had
horrible visions of bread and water and
striped clothing, and then happily be-
thought him that here was free adver-
tisement for his reform paper, of which
he stood sOrely in need, and SO he hid
the trepidation of his Quaking heart and
smiled bravely in the face of avenging
justice. He requested that the fine be
doubled, and handed out the $40, and
the bandage having slipped from JUS
tees eyes, she saw the cash and her
wrath was Modified. She still had rea-
son to fear that the offender at the bar
would go astray, so the court decreed
that the sentence of Imprisonment
should be suspended during good be-
havior. A. j. Blethen went forth from
the presence of the court, and sought
out tObacconist,O of whom he purchased
two boxes of cigars, which he dispensed
with sundry smiles, among the liabilities
of the court room. And they smoked and
rejoiced, but on the brow of A. j.
Blethen Gloom sits brooding; he is not
free from the law; he is ON parole; and
he will, with chastened spirit, and with
an intelligence born of experience, write
pungent paragraphs on fast driving,
dealing hereafter with the danger to the
driver rather than the safety of the pc
deStrian.